1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to systems and methods for storing water. The present invention relates more specifically to systems and methods for the collection, retention, and redistribution of rainwater for landscape watering and other appropriate uses as well as methods for constructing such systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
Efforts have been made in the past to create rainwater collection systems that provide storage containment in association with habitable dwellings and the like. In most cases, these previous efforts take the form of either tanks having walls that comprise part of the upright foundation, or underground storage tanks that are wholly separated from the building foundation of the habitable structure. Examples of the first type of collection and storage systems may be seen in prior patents that include the Klein and Courier patents (referenced and discussed below), and to a lesser extent the Pratt patent (also referenced and discussed below). Courier describes a system that involves the creation of a storage tank in an area beneath the foundation (such as below a garage) in a manner that does not intrude upon the usual pipes, conduits, and cabling associated with the balance of the structure's foundation. Courier, however, does not anticipate the use of a separate tank, instead constructing its containment vessel utilizing the support walls of the foundation itself. The systems described by these patents do not provide means for preventing condensation from detrimentally affecting the habitable structure overtop of the storage tank, which essentially remains open to the flooring components of the structure. Any use of the foundation walls themselves to establish the water containment vessel will suffer from a variety of condensation problems for the structure immediately above the foundation.
The second approach mentioned above, that of establishing the storage tank apart from the building structure, is described generally in the DeStefano patent and the Zimmerman et al. patent application (both of which are referenced and discussed below). In each of these two systems, the novelty is directed more to the manner in which dual containment tanks and a variety of collection systems are utilized to optimize the efficiencies with which the system collects water and disperses it for use in landscape watering. Some systems, such as that described in Bucherre include tanks that are not associated with building structures and utilize open area collection systems instead.
The concept of utilizing an inflatable or non-rigid structure to establish a removable form for pouring a concrete foundation or the like has also been explored in the prior art. Examples such as Heifetz and Hale (referenced and discussed below) disclose this basic concept as well as various specific features and steps designed to optimize the process and eliminate some of the previously identified problems. Efforts have been made, for example, to address and control the deformation of the inflated form, either through increased pressurization or through the provision of an external, rigid, or semi-rigid web or netting around the form. The Williamson patent (referenced and discussed below), utilizes an inflatable form for constructing the rigid walls of a storage tank type device. Most of the previous efforts in this field, however, that utilize the inflatable form approach are generally more concerned with simply establishing the concrete structure in the most economical fashion. Efforts in the past in the above described fields include the following U.S. Patents, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein, in their entirety, by reference:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,396,745 issued to Klein on Mar. 14, 1995 entitled Habitable Structure with Water Storage and Distribution describes a habitable structure incorporating a ground supported, water impervious floor and upright foundation walls that define an open top water storage tank. Flooring for the habitable structure provides the cover or top for the rainwater storage tanks. A roof top rainwater collection system is described with conduits directed into the under structure storage tank, while use of the water is carried out by a variety of systems for distributing water from the enclosure, including a sprinkler system for indoor and outdoor usage. Further systems for collecting rainwater from drainage channels outside the structure are also described.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,796,325 issued to Courier on Sep. 28, 2004 entitled Apparatus for Storm Water Retention and Release and Method of Use Thereof describes a system and method for the centralized collection of rainwater run off from a number of single family dwellings in a neighborhood. The system describes storage containers and associated “control chambers” typically located underneath or near buildings on the property served by the system. Conduits connect to drainage systems external to the buildings to receive storm water into the container by way of the control chamber. Other conduit systems draw storm water from the container (again through the control chamber) for use as necessary. Various mechanisms for preventing the buildup of debris in the system are described.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,080,662 issued to Pratt on Jul. 25, 2006 entitled Rain Recycling System describes a conduit and flow control water recycling system and method of use that relies upon the collection of water from a basement in a building that accumulates in a sump area and is pumped into a holding tank. The water is then distributed for use both inside and outside of the building.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/651,570 filed by Zimmerman Jr. et al. on Aug. 29, 2003 entitled Rain Water Recovery System describes a complex system and method that is intended to restore the natural water cycle by collecting storm water run off and reintroducing it into the ground surrounding the area of collection. Various cisterns, pumps, and manufactured dry wells are described. The system includes components to divert polluted run off and capture clean run off for irrigation purposes and non-potable uses. Other water run off is diverted to recharge groundwater supplies.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,934,404 issued to DeStefano on Jun. 19, 1990 entitled Water Management System describes a rainwater collection system that relies on water run off from a roof that is diverted into an underground storage reservoir. A second reservoir is described that operates in tandem with the rainwater collection reservoir that collects gray water from within the dwelling which is combined with the rainwater to serve exterior landscape water requirements.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,527,927 issued to Bucherre on Jul. 9, 1985 entitled Water Harvesting and Storage System describes a large area arrangement for collecting what is intended to be potable water that includes a sheet or membrane for catchments and one or more flexible closed storage tanks. A system of filtration and piping between the catchments and storage tanks, as well as a number of pump systems and additional piping allow use of the water.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,102,956 issued to Heifetz on Jul. 25, 1978 entitled Building Method and Equipment for Use Therewith describes a construction method wherein an inflatable form made of flexible, but inextensible material is anchored to a base and then is inflated to a predetermined pressure. While this pressure is maintained, a cementitious material is applied to the outer surface of the form to a required thickness. After the material has set, the form is deflated, released from the base, and removed for re-use.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,746,471 issued to Hale on May 24, 1988 entitled Method of Constructing a Reinforced Concrete Structure describes the use of inflatable forms that are placed on a pre-cast foundation and strapped down (with chain link fence material). The inflatable forms are then highly pressurized to pre-stress the chain link fence and a uniform layer of fiber reinforced cement is applied over the form.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,324,554 issued to Billner on Jul. 20, 1943 entitled Building Construction describes yet another inflatable form system comprising an inflation chamber surrounded by a web of flexible cords or constraints. The web of cords or cables establishes the inflated shape of the form for the purpose of pouring concrete. After the concrete has set, the form is deflated and removed through appropriately designed apertures in the inflatable structure.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,223,759 issued to Williamson on Dec. 14, 1965 entitled Method of Fabricating Structures describes a process for constructing a plastic walled tank by forming an exterior configuration from an earthen form or the like and an interior configuration from an inflatable form positioned within the exterior enclosure. The space between the two forms is then filled with a hardening material such as concrete, and the interior form is filled with a fluid or the like in order to maintain equal hydrostatic pressures across the walls being formed.
In general, therefore, none of the systems previously designed in the area of collection tanks associated with buildings, teach the concept of integrating a separate storage tank immediately underneath or in association with the concrete foundation components of the building to which it is associated. Various collection and distribution systems (roof gutter collection, drainage channel collection, and landscape watering distribution systems) are all described and explored to some extent in the various efforts made in the past.
In addition, none of the systems and methods previously described in the field of inflatable or non-rigid concrete forms integrates the form itself into a reservoir or liquid containment vessel. All such efforts in the past have focused on removing the form after use and either do not contemplate a liquid storage capability or rely upon the resultant concrete structure to provide the containment vessel.
It would be desirable therefore to provide systems and methods for collecting, storing, and redistributing rainwater for landscape watering, which systems and methods make use of building foundations and surface concrete structures in a manner that provides the benefits of such rainwater redistribution systems without the significant costs associated with their separate construction. It would be desirable to have such systems that could be constructed in conjunction with the new construction of habitable dwellings and/or surface concrete structures (driveways, patios, parking lots, and the like) or that could be constructed as retrofit systems in conjunction with existing buildings and surface structures.